


Willingly Shackled [Whumptober 2020]

by chemically_imbalanced_romance



Series: Whumptober 2020/Cult AU [4]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Torture, Blood and Violence, Cages, Cults, Gaslighting, Gen, Humiliation, Kidnapping, Manipulation, People In Cages, Restraints, Torture, let me know if I missed anything, lots of non-sexual but just as non-consensual touching, people treated like pets, treating people like property
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26807788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chemically_imbalanced_romance/pseuds/chemically_imbalanced_romance
Summary: [Whumptober 2020 Day 4; Cult AU] Styx works with Virgil.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: Whumptober 2020/Cult AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947007
Comments: 7
Kudos: 65
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Willingly Shackled [Whumptober 2020]

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: No. 4: Running Out Of Time [Caged]

_ October 2nd. 7:25 pm.  _

Janus expected Virgil to lose his fight after Styx humiliated him, but if anything, that humiliation made him more fierce, more angry. He fought every order Styx gave him, defying him until he wasn’t able to anymore- whether that was due to physical or mental exhaustion -and the next time Styx visited, they started from the beginning. 

Styx, like his leader, began with manipulation to get Virgil to do what he wanted. 

He had crouched one day, beckoning Virgil over like a dog. “Are you really not tired of making things so hard for yourself? We’re not letting you out, so you might as well just accept it. Maybe you won’t be in those chains anymore. Just ask Janus— Up those stairs, life is much better. You’re lucky to have been chosen. If you just let yourself, you could be part of it.” 

Virgil covered his blistering ankles and pressed himself into the corner. “Janus left you for a reason, you psychotic fuck,” he snapped. “I’d rather die than be your  _ pet.”  _

He sighed. “Janus?” He looked at him tiredly. “Will you tell him?”

Janus swallowed and pursed his lips. “He’s not wrong, Virgil,” he said quietly. “It’s better if you listen.”

“It’s  _ more _ than better. Don’t you want to go outside again? To walk around freely? To eat whenever you want? You can essentially have your life back, Virgil, if you just listen. You won’t have to work anymore. Doesn’t that sound better? No more gross motels.”

“What, in exchange for being your slave?” Virgil spat. “I’m fine right here.” 

When that didn’t work, he once again followed Bates’ lead and resorted to violence. 

Virgil screamed as Styx’s knife carved lines in his back. His binder, splattered with blood, was tossed to the side, his chest pressed to the stone floor. 

“Come on!” Styx shouted over Virgil’s cries, his blade a nonstop motion. “What do you say? I’ll stop when you admit it!” 

Virgil’s nails cracked and broke as he dragged them down the stone, his screams growing louder. Styx slid the knife around to his side and dug in deeper, twisting his wrist. 

_ “What do you say?”  _

Virgil grit his teeth. Styx cut deeper, and Virgil’s eyes rolled back, his body falling limp. Janus hid a smile. 

“Fuck!” Styx used Virgil’s binder to wipe his knife clean and shoved it in his sheath, tossing the binder on one of the filing cabinets. “Remus!” 

The door creaked open and shut, Remus hurrying down the steps. Styx climbed off his seat on Virgil’s waist and stepped over him. 

“Make sure he doesn’t bleed out,” he grumbled as he shouldered past Remus. 

Remus flipped his backpack around and pulled out a Ziploc bag filled with latex gloves. He pulled on a pair and grabbed a cloth, grimacing as he pressed at various places on Virgil’s back. 

“So you’ve become the doctor.” Janus’ voice came out rough, raspy. “How’d that happen?”

Remus shrugged, eyes on Virgil’s cuts. “I’m the least squeamish. Bates has gotten… More enthusiastic, than he was when you left. A lot of our staff can’t handle it anymore. I come in for anything past some bruising and broken bones.” 

Janus hesitated. “Are you happy?” 

Remus pulled a water bottle of his backpack and drizzled it all over Virgil’s back and side. He dabbed all over until the blood was gone and the cuts were cleaned. His eyebrows pinched as he sewed up the cut in Virgil’s side, and some of the deeper ones on his back. He scooped up antibiotic ointment and rubbed it carefully all over his back, then held him upright while he wrapped him in gauze with one hand. 

Remus slipped Virgil’s shirt back on and leaned him against the wall. The handcuffs clicked around the pipes, the padlocks on the chains that trapped Virgil’s legs. 

“I missed you,” Remus said quietly, not looking at Janus. “I’m sorry you’re back.” 

He started towards the stairs, but when he passed Janus, Janus called his name. He looked at him questioningly. “If I don’t get something to drink soon, I’m gonna fucking pass out. Can you tell Bates I’m complaining?” 

Remus’ eyes flicked to the door. He knelt in front of Janus and pulled another water bottle out. 

Janus’ eyes widened. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.” 

“That’s not something for you to worry about. Open.” 

Janus obeyed, and Remus took his chin between his fingers. He gave Janus water slowly, with breaks in between, until half the bottle was gone. 

“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Remus said in a hushed voice. “He’s happy with you. Things are gonna get better soon.”

Janus grimaced. “Thank you, Remus.” 

Remus watched him for a moment, before hurrying out of the room. 

Styx tried the physical route a few more times, but when it was clear Virgil wouldn’t break, he snapped. 

Janus flinched as he dropped the whip. He grabbed Virgil by the back of his neck and forced him to the ground, forehead pressed to the stone. 

“You can keep denying it if that makes you feel better,” he hissed in Virgil’s ear. “But that doesn’t change  _ anything _ . You’re  _ mine _ . The second we picked you up from that  _ shithole _ , you belonged to  _ me _ . This?” Styx grabbed Virgil’s collar and yanked it back until Virgil gagged. “This marks you as  _ mine _ . You fight that for the rest of our lives if you have to, but you better get used to being with me.” 

Janus watched it happen. 

He watched Virgil’s eyes cloud over, watched the sobs rip from his throat. His fists unclenched, and his glare faded. 

_ No.  _ Janus’ eyes widened, his heart hammering.  _ Please don’t.  _

“And what do you say?” Styx clearly said it on autopilot, already standing without expecting a response. 

“Thank you, master.” 

Janus’ chest squeezed hard enough to hurt. 

Styx circled to Virgil’s front with a surprised chuckle. “If I knew all you needed was some proof, I would have saved a lot of time! Up!”

Janus blinked away tears as Virgil swayed and struggled to his knees, back straight. 

Styx curled his hands in Virgil’s hair and grinned. “And just like that, you’ve earned dinner. Was that so hard, pet? Speak.” 

“No,” Virgil mumbled. “I’m sorry.” 

“No, what?” 

Janus looked away. 

“No, master.” 

“Good boy! Looks like Janus is finally rubbing off on you. I knew bunking you two was the right decision.” 

Janus’ stomach lurched with the urge to throw up.  _ You’re destroying him. You’re a coward and it’s hurting him.  _

Styx chained Virgil back up and left. After a while, Janus cleared his throat. 

“How, um… How are you feeling?” 

Virgil looked at him incredulously. “I’m great. Was thinking of taking a nap.” 

“You should.” Janus stared at the ground. Fear squeezed his chest, it was getting hard to breathe. “You need to rest. It’ll help keep your strength up.” 

“I don’t know how much of that I have left,” he mumbled. 

_ You’re killing him.  _

Janus wracked his mind for something to say that would change his mind, and came up with nothing. They didn’t speak again that day. 

_ October 7th. 3:02 am.  _

Janus groaned and cracked his eyes open as a pair of footsteps descended down the stairs. Something creaked and scraped, occasionally thunking. 

“What now?” Virgil almost whimpered. 

Janus frantically blinked the sleep away. Styx waved at him cheerfully and continued into the room. Something  _ crashed _ — Janus’ head whipped back to the stairs, where Remus braced himself against a large dog cage. 

Janus’ heart dropped. 

“Come on, Remus, hurry up. Fuck, be careful with that, it was expensive!”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. 

The cage grated horribly as Remus pushed it across the room. Styx pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked Virgil’s ankles. 

He snickered and ducked as Virgil kicked wildly. “YOU’RE NOT FUCKING PUTTING ME IN THERE!” 

He hissed in pain as Styx gripped his blistered ankle, arching his back. “Down, boy,” Styx laughed. “This is appropriate, don’t you think? A nice little reminder that you belong to someone now. To me, in case you forgot.” 

_ This is sick.  _ Janus’ mouth was full of cotton.  _ This is too far. You have to stop.  _

Styx unlocked Virgil’s wrists and grabbed him around the waist as Virgil broke for the door. Virgil thrashed and screamed while Styx dragged him out of the way. Remus pushed the cage into the corner and opened the door. 

“DON’T!” The cage rattled as Virgil kicked it, nearly knocking Styx off balance. “DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE! LET ME GO!” 

Janus shrunk in on himself and squeezed his eyes shut. 

“Remus, help me!” Styx snapped. 

Virgil’s protests dissolved into animalistic screams and wails. The next time Janus looked, the cage door was chained shut, Virgil crammed inside with not even space to turn around. 

Styx crouched in front of him. “This is only temporary, I promise. You can get your freedom back when you learn to be a good boy, like Janus.” He held his arms out, palms up. “Do I get a thank you?” 

Virgil glared at him, tears running down his face. Janus’ skin crawled, dread seeping through.  _ Please don’t.  _

“Thank you, master.” 

Styx’s lips curled into a grin. “Good boy.” 

He and Remus left, the door slamming behind them. Janus’ cuffs tugged as his wrists as he pressed himself against the wall. His eyes stared stubbornly out the dirt-crusted windows, refusing to look to his left, refusing to see the emptiness in Virgil’s eyes. 

After a long time, after Janus’ eyes had glazed over and Virgil’s sobbing had faded to sniffles and the occasional uncomfortable groan, he asked quietly, “Are you still there?” 

Virgil drew in a shaky breath. “I don’t know.” 

Janus’ bottom lip wobbled. 

“Why are you crying? You’re  _ fine _ . You have it way better.” 

“You’re wrong,” he whispered. 

_ Go on. Lie to him. Tell him it’s better to fight, that it might work, that he might get out. Encourage him to put himself through more pain so you don’t lose hope. Tell him that being forced into a cage is better than being willingly shackled.  _

“We’re getting out of here.” Janus leaned his head against the wall. “I promise.” 

**Author's Note:**

> This probably took twice as long to write as it needed to because I kept stopping to wince and procrastinate lmao


End file.
